阙 (quē) — paired watchtowers at an imperial palace gate; also refers to the imperial palace

Definition

Literary term for the paired watchtowers flanking a palace or city gate, and by extension the imperial palace itself. Bound form: it never stands alone, only in compounds like 宫阙.

bound form
paired watchtowers at an imperial palace gatealso refers to the imperial palace
Easily confused

Examples

  • 阙。
    Gōng quē zài xī yáng xià xiǎn de shí fēn zhuàng guān.
    The palace watchtowers look very magnificent in the sunset.
  • 阙。
    Chéng quē zài huáng hūn shí jǐng sè hěn měi.
    The city gate towers are very beautiful at dusk.
  • 阙。
    Gǔ rén de gōng quē xiàng zhēng zhe wáng quán.
    The ancient palace watchtowers symbolized royal authority.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 闕; 阙 is its simplified writing.

  • 欮欮jué
  • 門門méngate

The traditional form 闕 pairs 門, a gate, with 欮. The simplified 阙 is a different form.

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